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Vale Gordo

29 May 2014

Zoos Victoria staff and especially the Keepers at Melbourne Zoo's Wild Sea are very sad to announce the death of Sub-Antarctic Fur Seal Gordo.

Gordo suffered a cardiac arrest during recovery from an anaesthetic procedure. He was being investigated for a suspected degenerative renal condition and it is possible that this contributed to the arrest. Tissue samples will be sent out for pathology analysis to further investigate the incident.

Gordo was 11 years old and had been at the Zoo after he was found emaciated and dehydrated on the main beach at Warrnambool in August, 2003.

As he was a yearling not adjusting well to life away from his mother, he was not suitable for re-release and so it was decided to keep him in the Zoo’s care.

Gordo was a much loved member of the Wild Sea team and an integral part of Melbourne Zoo's daily Seal-the-Loop presention, delighting hundreds of thousands of zoo visitors over the years and highlighting the need to keep litter out of the marine environment. He trained very well and was always eager to please his keepers.

He will be deeply missed.

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